


Excuses and What Happens When They Stop

by queenofinsanity6



Series: Dancing Together [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Comment Fic, Community: comment_fic, First Meetings, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-07
Updated: 2011-05-06
Packaged: 2017-10-19 02:18:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/195762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenofinsanity6/pseuds/queenofinsanity6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened, from both points of view, from the time the TARDIS left Rose in the alley to when the Doctor came back to ask her again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. TARDIS Says No

The Doctor wasn't in the habit of arguing with the TARDIS as a general rule. She both intelligent and quiet. She was the only company he'd had for some time now, ever since-Well, it didn't bear thinking about.

She knew where to go even when he didn't, knew where to take him when he needed to do good and when he just needed to rage quietly at the universe. She was the only thing he had left.

Normally she let him run if he felt he needed to. But not since he'd left Rose Tyler. It was outrageous. Absolutely absurd. She seemed to think he should go back. Every time he stepped away from the controls she tried to reset herself to go back there. Go back and fetch a human woman. He was absolutely baffled as to why she was so attached to this one girl. She'd never expressed any sort of preference as to his companions in the past.

Perhaps it wasn't that she thought he should take Rose specifically so much as someone in general. Taking someone with him would do him a world of good, though it would be fair dangerous to the person to come with him. He tried that, and the TARDIS actually slammed her doors in the face of the poor bloke who'd asked to come along.

Definitely Rose then. But what more could he do?

He'd asked. He'd really tried. Working with her, even so briefly, had given him a reason to be alive again. He'd lost his senses and asked her to come with him, and she'd turned him down. He couldn't ask again. He NEVER asked twice.

Anyway, she was too young. She was what, twenty? She wasn't really even old enough to know what she wanted properly. Far too young to travel with a bitter old man like himself. It was too dangerous, he couldn't let her throw her life away traveling with him.

Damn. He'd gotten distracted again, and the TARDIS had now taken the initiative to fly back without asking. Interfering machine.

He supposed it couldn't hurt to just pop back out and tell her the TARDIS could travel through time. It wasn't really like asking again. More like just letting her know the full benefits of what he'd already offered.

Then she'd turn him down again and he'd go on his merry way.


	2. Rose Says Yes

Rose knew it was for the best, turning him down. Being with him had been exciting, and she'd loved it, but now it was time to be practical. She couldn't just wander off and leave her Mum behind. Not to mention Mickey. He needed her.

That was what life WAS, right? Living and working and taking care of the people you loved because sometimes they couldn't quite manage it themselves. God knows Mum couldn't. Rose was all she had, ever since Dad died when she was small. How terrible a daughter would Rose be if she left her mum?

Mickey too, for that matter. He loved her. Sweet, reliable Micky who'd had his eye on her since before Jimmy Stone. He liked to act all tough, but tonight just proved how fragile he was. She'd told him before that she loved him and even if it wasn't quite the truth, didn't she owe it to him to pretend it was, instead of going off with a man who looked twice her age?

And anyway, he was damaged, somehow. She could see it in his eyes from the moment he met him. He had a manic energy that was somehow desperate and dangerous. And he certainly had no concern for his own life. How could she travel with someone like that? He could be worse than Jimmy Stone for all she knew.

No, it was much safer to stay here. She had no call feeling so depressed about it, she'd made the right choice. The sensible choice. And the way Mickey was looking at her? It was wonderful. So what if a part of her brain said she'd rather this mysterious Doctor look at her like that? She would just move right on with her life.

Her determination lasted only until the telltale sound of the TARDIS landing sounded behind her. She fancied that he looked about as relieved to be back asking again as she was to be asked. It didn't even immediately register what he'd said, just that he came back for her. She knew she'd regret it for the rest of her life if she didn't go. It was time for Rose Tyler to see the greater universe.

No more working in a shop and wondering what the point was, no more scrounging for a job and watching every penny and trying to suppress the jealousy she felt when she went to visit cousin Mo, who'd gone to college and traveled the world writing for her travel magazine. Rose Tyler wouldn't be another bitter woman whose life was defined by the estate.

If that meant spending more time with the Doctor, that was just a very pleasant side effect.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the start of my Rose/Jack/Doctor series based off of the fifteen pages of Comment Fics I have in a word file.  
> The Prompt for this story- "She was too young/He was too damaged"


End file.
